Saturday, 1 February 2014

Ella Grey is with me...and so is her Raven...





(and I'm not the Raven here)

Why Ravens?
By Ella Grey
            I've written quite a few shifter stories. Mostly they've been quite traditional. I started with wolves. Then for a short story I wrote leopards. I've written assassins before but ones that were human. I had a very particular story in mind when I wrote 'The Raven's Kill.' What happens when the assassin falls in love with his target? Since the original plan was for this to be a short story and I wanted the love story to be plausible. I went with Paranormal Romance.  
            I wanted something unique, a creature that could blend into the normal surroundings, and definitely one that could hide in plain sight if need be. It ruled out most shape shifters. Wolves, leopards, bears or cougars were all too big and nearly impossible to hide in an urban setting. Then I went toward bird shifters. That decision ruled out traditional shape shifters and I ended up leaning more toward magical creatures. Shifters do exist in my world but Raven is a creature of magic, a shifter who can take any shape he wants and is able to see the darkness in a person's soul. In his case he takes the shape of a handsome looking man (who in my imagination looks a hell of a lot like Ian Somerhalder. I dare any woman not to look at him and feel inspired.)
            I enjoyed writing him a lot. I wrote a scene where he's flying over the landscape, which was brilliant fun to write. He might look like a man half the time but he's definitely more comfortable as a raven. For instances he rarely sleeps in his human form, preferring to sleep in the rafters in the converted clock tower he owns. 

            The Raven's Kill may be a standalone story but I might write more stories around Raven and his mate. There's a lot of potential there.


Character Interview
By Ella Grey
(What follow is a transcript of a meeting between me and Raven)
(There is something dangerous and dark about the handsome man who walks into my office. He walks with an easy stride but his eyes dart from side to side, taking in everything. He's dressed in a dark suit. The jacket draws attention to broad shoulders and the white shirt fits him well. There's no mistaking his well-built.)
Ella Grey: Thanks for coming in Raven.
Raven: It isn't a problem. I had nothing on my agenda today.
Ella Grey: Your agenda? You mean your targets?
Raven: (He nods his head) I find that it's rather impolite to talk about my targets. I wouldn't want to kill you too if you learn too much; after all we've had such pleasant chats.
Ella Grey: Yes, we have. I've turned into your own personal shrink. Last time we talked you mentioned Cassandra Stirling. Did you...you know?
Raven: (He looks bemused) Kill her? No.
Ella Grey: That's a first. I don't think you've ever let anyone live before.
Raven: I haven't, it's bad for business but she's different.
Ella Grey: And why's that? Why makes her so different?
Raven: I looked in her eyes. She's innocent. I refuse to take an innocent woman's life. It doesn't make any differences how she makes me feel, that the thought of tasting her lips drives me to distraction. I've never felt this way. Damned, I can't even think straight. What does it mean?
Ella Grey: You seriously don't know?
Raven: (shrugs in that way which is purely male and it obvious he doesn't have a clue. I even feel a little sorry for him.)
Ella Grey: You're in love...dumb-arse.


*snigger, love that last line...*


What's Raven going to do when his target turns out to be his mate?


Raven is a shifter with the ability to see the darkness in a person's soul. He has never strayed off his path or let a target live before, until he meets Cassandra for the first time. She's an innocent, so why does someone want her dead?
As soon as she laid eyes on the mysterious man, she wants him with an intensity that scares her. When he appears in her room one night with an impossible story, she doesn't have a choice, believe him or die when someone else takes the job he's refused.
It's a fight against time and an attraction that scares them both, no-one knows what the future holds. Even a fledgling seer.


Ella Grey always knew that she'd become a writer. Well, it was either that or a brain surgeon but her heart wasn't in it. She's constantly had voices in her head, which could have ended up being strapped in a strait jacket and being locked in a padded cell. Thankfully she picked up a pen and put it to paper.
She currently lives in the UK with her son, partner and cat. She rarely sleeps and can often be found with a cup of coffee close to one hand, with her other hand on the keyboard.
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